Speaking on the Senate floor on Wednesday, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) had some harsh words for lawmakers on Capitol Hill insisting their demands be met before supporting any potential agreement to raise the debt ceiling.
A plan put forth by House Speaker John Boehner to lift the deficit limit has left some congressional Republicans at odds with members of their party. In the upper congressional chamber, Tea Party-affiliated members such as Sens. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) have come out against the proposal. In the House, GOP lawmakers such as Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) have vowed to cast a vote against any measure to raise the debt ceiling. All three Republicans stand behind a "Cut, Cap, and Balance" pledge, which entails opposing any debt limit increase without significant spending cuts, enforceable spending caps and congressional approval of a balanced budget amendment.
"What is really amazing about this is that some members are believing that we can pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution in this body with its present representation -- and that is foolish,” said McCain on the Senate floor, according to The Hill. "That is worse than foolish. That is deceiving many of our constituents.”
The Arizona senator regarded the situation unfolding as "unfair" and "bizarre."
In an interview with National Review Online earlier this month, McCain singled out Bachmann over her unwavering opposition to raising the debt ceiling.
"There are Republicans who are committed, like Michele Bachmann, to vote against raising the debt ceiling under any circumstances," he explained, suggesting that Bachmann is acting "sort of like Senator Obama did."
In 2006, then-senator Barack Obama cast a vote against raising the deficit limit. White House spokesman Jay Carney has said that the president now considers the vote "a mistake." Back in April Carney explained, "He realizes now that raising the debt ceiling is so important to the health of this economy and the global economy that it is not a vote that, even when you are protesting an administration's policies, you can play around with."
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